It Can't Be
by cup.o.noods
Summary: Noodle's seventeen, and is attempting to cancel a gig to go on a date with a secret boyfriend. Upon finding out about the date, Murdoc uncomfortably discovers that Noodle isn't just Noodle to him anymore. Eventually MurdocNoodle, obviously.
1. And so he stared

_(I got a lot of 'you should do another story', so……here you go! I know there are a lot of fans who hate Murdoc/Noods, but I DON'T CARE! MUAHAHAHAAAA! ahem MOVING ON. So, uh, here's the story? I only have the weekend to work on it, then I go back to mom's. okay. So here goes.)_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Gorillaz. Blahhhhh blah blah._

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A knock disrupted a certain Asian girl's sleep, though she remained in bed, ignoring the "NOODLE! GE' UP!"

Finally, the door burst open, revealing a Murdoc wearing merely a pair of jeans unbuttoned and hopefully underwear underneath, and this Murdoc stormed over to Noodle's bed and poked her sleeping mass.

Noodle twitched, letting out a "mmmmph." Murdoc couldn't help but let out a tiny grin which he quickly hid with a smirk as though Noodle had X-ray vision. He prodded her again and again until he discovered where her belly was. He poked this particular area, all his fingers sprawling around like spiders until she started shaking. He thought he had made her cry, but suddenly a sound that was a bit similar to a hyena being squashed by a giant mosquito. Okay, maybe not quite like that…but more or less sounding something like laughter.

Murdoc grinned as he tickled her more intensely, and the Axe princess finally shot up in bed, her face red as she her hands clawed at Murdoc's own as she tried to pry him from her bellybutton. A gleam in her eye appeared when she finally grabbed his hands and wrenched them away from her own. The now seventeen year old Gorillaz guitarist gave a short laugh of triumph, then her red face of breathlessness turned to one of embarrassment as she realized she was still holding the bassist's hands.

Murdoc noted this as well, though he didn't quite realize the ideality of this until he cleared his mind of Noodle's laughing face and saw the one she wore at the moment. He looked down at his hands, his fingernail reddened with nail polish was peeking out of the mass of fingers that were intwined. Noodle finally yanked her hands away and scooched back in bed.

"Uh, thanks for the wake-up call, Muds…uh…I'll be getting ready now."

Murdoc just gazed at her, the buzz from last night's booze still hanging him over the edge of no-idea-what-is-going-on and dangling him to the fishies. (AN: I'm in a goofy mood as of the four cookies I ate, so my writing could be just as goofy. DEAL WITH IT.) So he just stood there gazing at her until she gave him a funny look and took ahold of his bicep and dragged him out of her room.

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Half an hour later, a refreshed Noodle stepped from the bathroom, her hair damp and pulled into short braids that just touched the black shirt with the pink "Rock It" letters on the front, along with a pair of jeans that were way more baggy than most of her other jeans, must be because she found them in Russel's drawer…yeah, probably.

She made her way to the lift, singing along with what her lines would be as Shawn sung his normal line of "It's comin' up, it's comin' up, it's comin' up, IT'S THERE", though she was going down. She shrugged, then stepped out, shaking her damp bangs from her eyes as she walked to the kitchen, greeted by the sight of Murdoc wandering in circles around the table like a zombie, an empty look in his eyes while the blue-haired artist stared at him in confusion, and Russ at the stove as usual.

"Ohaiyoo gozaimasu!" she said brightly, and 2D broke his gaze from the bassist to Noodle, and waved, confusion still in his 'eyes', which Noodle only responded by looking up to Murdoc as well.

Russ spoke up from the kitchen. "He's been doin this for forty five minutes…must be either a new drug, new booze, new girl, or his hygiene's finally caught up to him. I knew those black fuzzies he'd coughed up last week weren't a good sign." He sighed and flipped a pancake.

Noodle seated herself next to 2D, watching the bassist mumble things to himself as he continued his rut around the table. "Uhhh…Muds?" she offered, poking his shoulder as he passed her chair. His eyes flicked towards her as he suddenly turned around and walked off towards the carpark, leaving the two artists to stare after him.

Noodle raised her hands helplessly, focusing her attention to the stack of pancakes Russ set before her. "Domo, Russ-sama."

"Anytime, baby girl." He replied, sitting down heavily and scarfing his own plate.

2D stabbed his pancake with his broken plastic spork. "Don' wanna," he said, turning the morning routine back to its usual. Noodle looked over at him, swallowing her bite.

"Stu…" she warned, and he looked over at her, the little boy look in his face. "Eat." She commanded.

2D let out a small growl, then stuffed a small piece in his mouth. He looked over at her, a defiant 'there' look in his face.

Noodle laughed, and returned to her food.

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Mostly everything was normal that day, though Noodle couldn't shake the image of both Murdoc wandering around in circles and the tingle still in her hands from this morning. She rubbed her palms together, then cracked them as she placed them on the GameCube controller. Everything was normal.

Though, 2D was a bit more curious than the young Japanese teenager. He was in his room, looking out at the carpark at the 'bago, looking for anything odd. When nothing was found, he thought Murdoc's 'spell' was over, and walked out and knocked on the door.

"Muds?" he asked timidly, knowing how much Murdoc hated being bugged in the Winnebago.

A low growl was heard in the depths of Murdoc's "lair", per say, and he wondered if he should turn around. But the bassist kicked the door open, almost knocking the singer out of orbit. He stumbled backwards, then looked up at the mismatched eyes that bored into him.

"Wot do ya want, dullard?" he snapped in his usual way, and 2D thought that maybe everything was right.

"I was wonderin' if you were awright?" he offered, scratching the back of his head, wondering it was wise to come down here. Now he just looked like an idiot…again.

"Well I'm fine. Go 'way." Murdoc began to slam the door, but a sight inside made 2D's mind spin.

"Muds? Wot's…wot's…" he trailed off, leaving his eyes to pointedly stare at the box inside the 'bago.

Murdoc inched the door a bit more closed, as he coughed. "Wot?"

"Why….why….why….WHY IS THERE A SUITCASE IN THERE?" 2D couldn't help but point to the suitcase overflowing with clothes and items sloppily tossed in. "You aren' goin' anywhere, are you?"

Murdoc rolled his eyes and let the door slam open again. 2D followed Murdoc inside, looking around as most of the junk normally lying around, was gone. He started to repeat his question, but the bassist beat him to it.

"Of course I'm goin' somewhere, face-ache. We're doin' a gig downtown, remember?'

2D stood there for a minute, trying to remember, when it suddenly dawned. Russ had mentioned something about doing a gig sometime this week, but he thought…well..it didn't matter what he though, they were doing one, right? The singer shrugged, then left the 'bago, eager to leave.

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Murdoc watched him go, rolling his eyes. As much as the lead singer could be horridly annoying with his innocence, his naivete, and his forgetfulness, Murdoc had to admit he made the band interesting. At least the girls fell for them, that was pretty much seventy percent of their publicity and funding. He grinned. And the other twenty percent were girls he "funded" personally to…ahem…'fulful' his own interests.

Anyways, he went back to cramming his junk into the suitcase. His thoughts wondered as he did so, reviewing from the fog he had been in earlier, to his stomach screaming the fact that he hadn't eaten, to the memory of Noodle looking up at him, shocked as their hands were jointed. He shook his head, embarrassed at himself for letting himself get that high.

"That must have been some serious shit," he muttered as he shook his head harder, trying to rid himself of the embarrassment. He only hoped it faded from Noodle's head entirely, especially with the confusing feelings he'd discovered lately.

He began to notice that what had been the shapeless, short, innocent Japanese cutie was now a grown teenager, filled out in areas that hadn't even existed when she'd tumbled from the crate. Her hair was worn with more carefulness, not just the sloppy spiky bed-head she wore until she was fourteen. Makeup had been experimented and now perfected, and she wore just enough that the bassist found himself looking at her face in wonder when she wasn't looking, trying to figure out how this transformation had taken place.

He still wasn't entirely sure if it was a good thing; having his thoughts sucked away at night when he tried to sleep, or having a peculiar tingly feeling in his stomach when Noodle decided to try something on that particularly flattered her appearance. And it wasn't just her appearance. Her mind had matured, her sense of humor more entertaining, her ability to help increasing, and, though it seemed impossible, her skill in guitar was radiating.

A knock at the 'bago shook him once more from his thoughts. He slammed a fist into his forehead. _What are you thinking about?_ His thoughts screamed. _This is NOODLE. NOOOOODLLLLLE. Not some chick you can feel free to take to bed at will, this is Noodle. Noodle. Just remember that...Shit._

He kicked open the door again, preparing his most nasty face to bring upon 2D again when he discovered he was looking into the brilliantly green eyes of the one he had just been thinking of. Murdoc's face flushed involuntarily, and he turned around to hide it as he greeted her.

"Yeh?"

Noodle's voice was curious as she replied. "Um, hi. Are you okay?"

Feeling that his face was now presentable, the bassist faced her. "Yeah, jus' some weird shit I took las' nigh', no big deal."

The guitarist nodded that nod everyone nods when they don't believe you. (AN: don't you just hate that?) "Alright."

"Well was there anythin' you needed, love, cause you gotta pack, we're leavin soon."

"Leaving?"

"The gig, love, remember?'

"What gig? I wasn't told this!" her voice was frustrated. "I'm not a kid anymore! WHY AREN'T I TOLD ANYTHING?" she sighed as she crossed her arms, and Murdoc's eyes were brought to the part of her anatomy that this pose pushed up a bit. He swallowed, feeling the heat in his cheeks again as he tore his eyes away to the wall behind her.

_Niccals! What are you doing! She's fuckin' seventeen! You're like….OLD! NO!_ Murdoc ran a hand through his hair, breathing deeply as he focused back on her expression, still annoyed.

"Look, love, well I'm tellin' you now."

"I can't go."

"Jus' cause you hate us doesn't mean you can't go."

"No, Muds, I mean I can't go."

"Why not?"

"I…I…I have a previous engagement."

Murdoc cocked his head at her. "This is Gorillaz, remember? You're a part of the band, you're goin'! I mean…you still wanna be in the band, righ'?"

Noodle sighed and thunked her head on the wall behind her. "Look, Murdoc—" the bassist winced as she addressed him with his name, she rarely did that, and when she did it meant she was frustrated with him, "—I can't go. I already promised A—uh, someone else that I was going somewhere."

Murdoc stared. "Well at least tell me wot's more important tha' Gorillaz." He crossed his arms right back. _Look at her face, look at her face, look at her face._

"I…I…" Noodle suddenly got a girlish smile. "I got a date."

Murdoc stared.

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_(Woo! twisty-ish type deal. it may seem to be a lame start, but keep reading, kay? i got a really good idea.)_


	2. Oh crap

(_I'll go ahead and start on the second chapter, not sure when I'll post it. R&R pwease!)_

_Disclaimer: typical not owning the band and stuffs…you know the drill_

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Murdoc kept staring until Noodle grew fidgety. She wished he would stop staring at her like that. What did he care, anyway if she had a date, he was the one with girls in his 'bago practically every night. And just a simple date wasn't anything, why should he be so shocked by this statement?

She nervously waved her hand in front of the bassist for a few seconds when he caught it with lightning motion and dragged her by the wrist like a child through the carpark and into Kong. He even dragged up the stairs instead of in the lift, as though that would make a more dramatic air.

Arriving in the kitchen with her heels dragging, Noodle backed as close to the wall as possible as 2D looked up from slurping a Dr Pepper (AN: WOOO DR PEPPER!) and Russ from tapping out a rhythm with his drumsticks on the table.

"Hey baby girl!" the New Yorker greeted her like he always did, until Murdoc's stare bored him into silence. "What?"

The silence wasn't completely still, slurps announced that 2D's cup was empty, though the slurps kept on coming until the bassist knocked it off the table. "Dullard, even you are gonna wan' to hear this."

Noodle rolled her eyes and crossed her arm, yanking her wrist away from Murdoc's grip for a second time that day, this one with no flush creeping up her neck. Russ kept watching.

"What is going on?"

"Noodle. Noodle is what's going on."

2D's face contorted. "You and Noodle? Ew."

A blush threatened to crawl up his neck; it was as if 2D had read his thoughts. But that was impossible, fortunately, and he forced himself to respond as the old Murdoc would have. "Tha's fuckin' sick, two-dents…" he managed to get out, then tried to change the subject back.

"Anyway, the point is tha' Noodle here's go' a boyfriend."

He watched as the silence drifted back upon the kitchen, it was almost painful to wait for them to react. The heavyset drummer was the first to explode.

"SHE WHAT? I thought I wouldn't need to lock you in the closet until you were twenty four!"

Noodle placed her hands on her hips. "Russ, I'm seventeen. I'm okay with taking care of myself."

Russ scrambled for words. "You…you can't date!"

"Until when?" she asked sarcastically.

"UNTIL YOU'RE MARRIED!"

Noodle repeated his words back at him. "I can't date…until I'm married…"

Russ swallowed. "Yes." He said haltingly, unsure if this was the correct thing to say, especially with the look on her face.

Noodle's eyes burned. "You guys are being pathetic! I'm seventeen, just shut up! I've got a date, I'm not going downtown, I'm going out. I don't need your permission, God!"

2D continued watching this, unsure of what he should say. "Um, Noods?" he asked timidly, trying to calm her rage.

"What!" she snapped, turning her blazing jade eyes upon the singer.

"Is 'e okay?"

"Is who okay?"

"You're date. 'E is a guy, right?" 2D's expression turned to one of creeped out confusion. He didn't THINK Noodle was that way…

Noodle's look was more horrified than ever, though her rage had diminished a slight bit. "Of course it's a guy, 2D-chun. Ew."

2D turned a slight shade of red. "Awright. But is 'e okay?"

"If you mean he's nice to me," she stuck her chin out and straightened her shoulders. "He is. He's definitely nicer than you guys are being."

2D looked down, a little boy hurt on his face. "Sorry, Noods."

Noodle sighed, running a hand through her hair. "No, it's okay. Whatever. I'm leaving. Have fun at the gig." She spun on her heel and stalked off toward the lift, leaving the three men to stare at each other.

Murdoc felt an intense impulse to follow her, to insist that she not go, but he was at least controlling himself enough to keep his feet in place. _Don't follow her. It'll just make these stupid thoughts worse, plus Lards'll think something's up. But then…_ Murdoc glanced at the drummer who was currently holding his sticks so tightly he heard a tiny splintering sound. _…he may be a bit more occupied. Aw, what the hell._

Murdoc slowly followed Noodle, waiting until she was at her room to put a hand on her shoulder and spin her around.

"Noods?" the bassist could feel her muscles tense under her shirt, and he instantly regretted his decision.

"Come to tell me the date of my betrothal? Who'll it be to? Cortez? Maybe then you guys can keep an eye on me."

"No, I came ta ask ta meet the guy." The sentence blurted from Murdoc's mouth before he could stop it, and he wondered what would happen if he actually did; whether he would strangle the boy, feed him to the zombies, or stick his balls in the blender.

Noodle turned around a bit. "You want to meet him?" she thought for a moment, gazing at Murdoc as though she was trying to decide whether he was teasing, joking, or being not-Murdoc. "Muds, are you serious?"

Again, his mouth spoke before his brain. "Of course."

Noodle looked at him with respect, then nodded. "Sure. He's coming over at five."

Murdoc glanced at the clock behind her. Four thirty. He looked back at her, swallowing. "Awright. Jus'…uh…be careful."

Noodle rolled her eyes. "I'm not gonna get pregnant or anything, Muds. Chill out. Yeesh." He watched her turn away, going into her room and slamming the door. He looked down at his boots, sighing.

_You gotta figure this out, Muds, once and for all._ "Fuck off," he told the stupid voice in his head, and kicked the lift as he got in and headed for the Winne.

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Inside of his 'bago, he could think, the messy atmosphere calming his mind somewhat. Cortez squawked in the corner, only receiving a hit on the head by a moldy cracker that was tossed at him.

"Awright, Murdoc," he told himself as he paced, hoping no one was listening. "Wot the 'ell is with the thoughts! You can' like 'er. Noodle is Noodle. Nothin' more, nothin' less. Wait, nothin' less? Wot the 'ell is that?" he sighed.

"Okay, so if ya do like Noods, ya can' tell anyone. They'd have such a field day wit' that one. Can you say pedifile?" He rolled his eyes, then sat down on the ratted old couch. He stared at the ceiling, trying to adjust to not being the Murdoc he was used to. Honestly, was it even okay for a thirty seven year old man to like a seventeen year old? Let alone freakin' legal? Probably not…

Consumed in his thoughts, he almost didn't notice a knock on the door. He reached over and slammed it open with his fist, waiting. Noodle poked her head in, and his thoughts that had been so close to convincing himself that he didn't like the Asian guitarist completely evaporated.

Noodle stood before him wearing her usual blue eyeshadow and simple makeup, though half of her hair was pulled back with tiny braids falling by her ears and it had obviously had much attention. He managed to peel his eyes away from her face just in time for her to step in front of him, and he was taken aback once more. She was dressed in casual formal, with a black long sleeved shirt with a tiny burst of white flame emblemed on the chest, along with a skirt that probably could have been longer.

He immediately quit goggling when he realized he was, and looked her in the ey. "Wha?" he managed to gasp, and she looked at him curiously.

"Are you alright, Murdoc-sama?" she inquired in a voice that said she didn't really expect or care for an answer, so he kept his mouth shut and nodded. She gave a curt nod, then waved him forward. "He's here."

Murdoc's breath was caught in his throat at those two simple words, how they meant so much. So he merely bit his tongue and stepped out of the 'bago, immediately taken horribly aback.

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_(Oooo……)_


	3. Find her

_(Mufufufufuuuuu the third chapter. enjoy.)_

_Disclaimer: I do not own the band. Blahhhhhhhhhh blah blah. Okay. Story now._

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Murdoc continued to stare until Noodle shoved him, and he snapped to his senses once again. He put a scowl on his face and just watched the boy, who had so shocked him and still was.

The boy standing before him had short, spiked black hair with neon green streaks, and four earrings, two in his ears, one in his eyebrow, and one announcing its presence in the tiny fold in his shirt on his chest. At this Murdoc's eye twitched, but he finished the once-over. He wore baggy pants that the bassist could have swore that if a butterfly landed on one of the seven chains that adorned them, the whole shabang would fall down and reveal whether he preferred boxers or breifs. Along with the scary pants, his shirt was torn in several places, one hole being right where his stomach was, revealing a hint of a six-pack, which normally Murdoc would have respected, but all respect vanished when a tattoo of a naked chick was peeking from the tear.

Murdoc forced his gaze back up to the guy's face, his facial muscles tightened and his fists clenched. No way. He couldn't, wouldn't, allow this. No way would he let this guy touch his Noods. Wait, his? Crap. Anyway, the bassist looked over his shoulder at Noodle who made her way to stand next to this...this CREEP. He felt as though his knuckles would break if he clenched them even more, but Noodle stopped him.

"Muds, this is Aaron. Aaron, Murdoc." She looked tense, and ready for a fight any minute, and she obviously felt the need to hurry this intro along. "Anyway, now that you've met, let's go." She pulled on Aaron's arm, eager to leave, as she could see the fire building in Murdoc's eyes.

"A...Aaron." Murdoc stuttered, amazed that his mouth still worked, and the boy looked behind his shoulder, finishing his current occupation of twining his fingers around Noodle's.

"Wot?"

"Uhhh...yeah. Whatever." Forcing himself to turn around, Murdoc walked off, slamming the 'bago's door. He would just...just go about his day...pretending he didn't care.

_Yeah right._

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Noodle watched Murdoc slam the door, and she couldn't help but wince as she almost tripped to keep up with Aaron's pace which told very visibly that he wanted to get out of here...and fast. So instead she turned around and leaned against Aaron, her eyebrows furrowed, then smoothed as she shook away her confusion and fears and left them behind in the dust.

Getting in Aaron's car, her attitude changed from worried to energetic and happy. "Where are we going?"

Aaron gave her a sideways look as he paused from driving to gaze at her, a smile in his eyes. "My parents made dinner and left it for me and you, and then maybe we can go shopping or something?" The little boy look in his deep blue eyes made Noodle smile back at him.

"Okay!" Frankly, she didn't really care where she went, as long as she got out. It was odd, actually, being a part of the Gorillaz and still being date-less every Friday night. How could a seventeen year old such as her, be pretty and have had her name screamed above the pounding beats of a live concert NOT have a boyfriend twenty-four seven? Not that she was really focused on that all the time; it just made her wonder. But no matter, she had one now, and she would make damn well best of it. And just to kick it off, she reached over to Aaron's right hand that rested on his knee, and took a hold of it, loving the feeling of the tingles that prickled up to her shoulder that this motion sent. He looked over at her again, a soft smile on his lips as he squeezed her hand.

Heck yes, this was going to be an interesting first date, whether she knew it or not.

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Back at Kong, Murdoc was slouched deep in his beat up couch, sitting uncomfortably on one of the broken springs. A beer bottle was in between two fingers, and a hazy look was behind his eyes. It was four hours after Noodle had left, and two hours after fighting with the manageer of the club they were going to play at. They finally cancelled their gig, and now there was nothing to do except wait for the Japanese teenager to come back But she hadn't, and it was eight at night, and Murdoc couldn't help but wonder where she was. He'd given up entirely on attempting to not think if whether he had feelings for her, he just left the feelings to his drink, who in turn let it grow.

A knock peaked his attention (or what was left of it) and he stared lazily at the door. After six more knocks it swung open, and 2D peeked in.

"Muds?"

"Wot the fuck to you wan'?"

2D cringed. "You've been in 'ere foreve', Muds, was wonderin' when you'd come out?"

"I've been in 'ere longer before, wot do you care?"

2D looked down and scuffed the ground with his toe. "We got a call from Noods."

Murdoc wasn't thinking straight. If he had been, he wouldn't have shot up straight and stared intently at the singer and yelled "IS SHE OKAY?"

2D's eyes widened. "Um, I didn' think you would care, but she says she won' be back till 'morrow."

Murdoc's senses came back, and a red hue took over his face. He coughed. "Righ', righ'. Where's she staying, a hotel?" Before he realized the horror in the sentence he just used, and what that could mean for her creepy date, 2D responded.

"No, she's staying wit' her guy friend, I fink."

Ignoring all senses, he shot to his feet and raced past 2D. "Where's he live, dullard?" He called over his shoulder.

"I fink she mentioned somewhere close, I don' remembe--" 2D's memory was suddenly located when Murdoc had a fistful of his hair and a knee two inches from his crotch, and soon the Geep shot out of the garage.


End file.
